Ergonomics and Your Home Office…Is it a Good Fit? by Rory McKinnon, ASP

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COVID-19 has changed the way we do business.  In this environment, more people are working from home or attending school on-line.  Now more than ever, understanding ergonomics is a key to preventing “workplace” injuries.  If you’re like me, you didn’t give your home office setup much thought, except to make sure the lighting was good and the view was nice for the office Zoom meetings.  The reality is if you don’t properly establish your home work area, it could lead to physical ailments such as back, neck, or wrist pain that can impact you for years to come.  Is your area in need of an assessment?  Below are some tips to help you setup an ergonomic environment for your home office.

Desk

Make sure that you have adequate clearance for your knees, thighs and feet.  Adjustable desks are great, but if you can’t adjust them here are a few tricks.  If the desk is too low, sturdy boards or blocks under the desk legs can raise it to a comfortable level.  If the desk is too high, then raise your chair.  If the edges of your desk are hard, consider padding the edge or using a wrist rest.  Try not to store anything under your desk as this limits the amount of space for your legs.

Chair

You want to choose a chair that supports the curves of your spine.  Adjust your chair height so your feet rest flat on the floor or on a footrest if you had to raise your chair to accommodate the height of your desk.  If you don’t have a footrest, try using some books or a box to support your feet.  Make sure your thighs are parallel to the floor.  Also adjust the armrests so your arms gently rest on them and your shoulders relaxed.

Monitor

The monitor should be directly in front of you, about an arm’s length away.  It should also be directly behind your keyboard if possible.  The top of the screen should be at or slightly below eye level.  You may have to utilize a stand or books to raise your monitor to the correct height.  Do you wear bifocals?   If so, lower the monitor an additional 1 to 2 inches for more comfortable viewing.  If you have a bright light source, you should place your monitor so the light source is to the side and not directly behind.

Keyboard and mouse

Your mouse should be within easy reach and on the same surface as your keyboard.  While typing or using your mouse, you should keep your wrists straight.  Also try to keep your upper arms close to your body and your hands even with or slightly below your elbow level.  Don’t overextend using the mouse, pick it up and bring it back to a neutral position if necessary.  You can also try alternating the hand you use to operate the mouse.

Key objects

Bring key objects such as your pens, papers, stapler or telephone close to your body to minimize reaching.  You should place your phone on the opposite side of your writing hand.  This will allow you to hold the phone and take notes as opposed to cradling the receiver with your neck.  You may also consider placing your phone on speaker or using a headset if you are on the phone often.

Don’t forget to move around.  It is recommended you leave your workstation once an hour to stretch, get a drink, or just to get moving.  Use these tips to keep your body healthy and ready for the next challenge.

If you’re more of a visual learner, check out this short YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8_ME4VwTiw

Spokane Area Burn Ban effective 7/20/2020

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Fire Marshals from Spokane Valley Fire Department (SVFD), City of Spokane Fire Department (SFD), Spokane County, City of Cheney, City of Airway Heights, and City of Deer Park have all enacted the Fire Danger Burn Restriction. With high temperatures in the forecast, all Cities and Fire Agencies want to keep area communities safe from fire risk by reducing the number of human-caused wildfires.  This season in particular with so many of our citizens testing positive for COVID-19, we want to do our part to keep our air quality as smoke free as possible. Breathing smoke affects the respiratory system and is especially harmful to everyone and most especially, younger and elderly generations, and those with heart and respiratory conditions.

Unauthorized open burning and unauthorized recreational fires are restricted until this order is lifted or unless otherwise permitted by law enforcement or authorized agencies.  Details, including photos of devices allowed/not allowed can be found here.

Reporting Occupational Illness during COVID-19 Pandemic

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OSHA has issued interim guidance that went into effect on 26 May 2020 regarding the reporting of occupational illnesses, specifically COVID-19.  The interim guidance will remain in effect until further notice and is intended to coincide with the current public health threat.  Following OSHA’s recordkeeping guidance, COVID-19 is a recordable illness and must be documented by the employer if the case is:

  1. A confirmed case of COVID-19, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC);[2]
  2. Work-related as defined by 29 CFR § 1904.5;[3] and
  3. Involves one or more of the general recording criteria set forth in 29 CFR § 1904.7.[4]

Because there has been difficulty in determining the origin of the illness in some workers, OSHA has also established guidelines for Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHO) to follow when investigating a COVID-19 case.  It would be beneficial for employers to review and understand these guidelines to ensure compliance with interim directives.  The guidelines are included in the release message located here.

OSHA Respiratory Protection Enforcement Guidance

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OSHA has released two memorandas outlining guidelines for respiratory protection during the current global pandemic. The first memorandum outlines enforcement discretion to permit extended use and reuse of respirators, along with using respirators that are beyond their manufacturer’s recommended shelf life. It provides specific guidance to healthcare personnel and workers exposed to respiratory hazards impacted by shortages of equipment due to COVID-19. Memorandum 2 provides guidance on the use of N95 respirators that are not approved by NIOSH if all of the provisions in memorandum 1 have been exhausted.

All employers are being asked to re-evaluate engineering and administrative controls to determine any changes that could reduce respiratory protection dependency. If respiratory protection is still necessary, employers should look for alternatives to N95 respirators that would provide the same or more protection. If an employer can demonstrate that all options under these guidelines were exhausted, then reuse or the use of expired N95s approved by NIOSH could be considered.

OSHA’s prioritization of product usage is as follows:

  • NIOSH-certified equipment; then
  • Equipment certified in accordance with standards of other countries or jurisdictions except the People’s Republic of China, unless equipment certified in accordance with standards of the People’s Republic of China is manufactured by a NIOSH certificate holder; then
  • Equipment certified in accordance with standards of the People’s Republic of China, the manufacturer of which is not a NIOSH certificate holder; then
  • Facemasks (e.g., medical masks, procedure masks).

There are some concerns by Industrial Hygiene professionals that OSHA does not offer guidance on enforcement for those non-healthcare companies that are following the recommendations of the Federal government to donate their supplies of N95 respirators. It is important for each employer to review the interim guidance and make a strong assessment of their respiratory protection needs.